quattro Digest, Vol 19, Issue 32

[Pollorey]

My $0.02:  There is no passage from the tranny to the rear diff other than
the space between the bearing rollers...and only one fill plug.  So....check
the oil level often until it settles out, and drive slowly at first.

Message: 7
Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 05:50:54 +0000
From: akowalsk at comcast.net (Alex Kowalski)
Subject: RE: Found AutoZone, Bought Cheap Tool WAS 016 Hex Plug...
To: "Robert M" <porter_t_dog at hotmail.com>
Cc: quattro at audifans.com
Message-ID:

<051120050550.21163.42819D3D000E2948000052AB2207002953059C040E9901050E at comca
st.net>


Yay!  Success.  Got the fill plug and the drain plugs loose without much
trouble.  Put the hex socket on the fill plug first with the Craftsman 1/2"
drive, made sure everything was clean, seated and
straight...pussssshhhhh...*CRACK*... plug comes loose.  Next the rear drain
and the front drain, the front was the toughest, I'd guesstimate about 80
ft/lbs before it let go.  But they all came out without any stripping or
other calamity.

I caught all the fluid, it was a dark chocolate color and the smell was, er,
yucky.  I now have all plugs out/loose and am letting the transmission drip
dry for a while before refilling through the engine compartment with a long
tube and a funnel.

The magnetic drain plug at the rear of the trans. has caught some metal
filings.  Very fine, no big bits in either the flow or around the magnet.  I
would guesstimate the total mass of the material to be <  0.5 gram, enough
maybe to fit in one of those tiny stirring spoons McDonald's used to give
out with their coffee.  Sound relatively normal at ~50k miles?  Geez, I hope
so.

Redline MT-90 goes in next, then the drive.  The cheapo $8 hex socket set
did its job, this time 'round.  One nice thing:  this is the first time I've
really had a good look around underneath the car.  The mileage at purchase
time was correct, I am now 99 44/100% sure -- the underbody is in nice shape
indeed, everything in the right place and still in surprisingly good shape.
Even the motor mounts still look solid, only a teensy bit of weather
cracking on the swaybar bushing rubber.

Thanks again for all the interest and suggestions so far.

Cheers,
Alex Kowalski
'87 5KCSTQ